Curveball
by Fyre and Water
Summary: Dimitri comes home to an angry Rose who has an interesting reason for her mood. Post Ruby Circle. Chapter 15 now up.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! This popped into my head randomly on the way home from ballet today, so I decided to write it up to see what happened. Disclaimer: I did not write the Vampire Academy series or affiliated characters.**

 **3** **rd** **POV**

Rose's ears prick as she hears a set of keys turning in the lock of the front door. Standing, she charges down the stairs in enough time to catch Dimitri as he walks in the door. "Son of a bitch!" The sound of skin hitting skin can be heard through the house.

Dimitri stares down at his wife of three years bewildered. "What did I do?"

"This!" A grainy black and white picture is thrust out from Rose's body. Dimitri's eyes widen as he recognizes the shape. It isn't until the image tremors slightly does he realize that Rose herself is shaking.

"Roza." He takes in her appearance for the first time since the whole exchange started. She's clothed in a baggy sweater, a pair of Dimitri's boxers, and her hair has been tossed up in a messy bun. "Roza, come here."

She goes willingly into his arms after dropping the picture on the coffee table, her hands clenching his shirt in fists. Dimitri rubs her back gently and sighs. "What?" Rose's voice is blocked slightly by Dimitri's chest.

"This is your fault too, I distinctly remember–"

Rose pulls away slightly. "Dimitri Belikov, if you finish that sentence you will be sleeping on the couch for a week!"

"Oh?" Dimitri just raises a brow.

"Yes!"

Dimitri kisses her forehead and reaches behind Rose to grab the picture. It's mostly blurred grey lines, but there's a distinct black oval with a white dot in the center of the image. He hums softly and Rose sits on the table while Dimitri looks over the picture. "When did you get this?"

"Earlier. Remember? You told me to go to the doctor's office."

Dimitri eyes her over the top of the photograph. "You've been vomiting for weeks and Dhampirs don't get sick."

"Yeah…this is going to cause a _lot_ of problems Dimitri."

"I know."

"I know."

"How is it not already?"–Dimitri's eyebrows spear downward suddenly.–"You didn't knock the doctor out did you?"

" _NO!_ I politely informed her that if she told anyone that I'd sic Lissa on her. No big deal."

"Rose." Her name comes out as a groan, causing her attitude to lift slightly. "How long?"

"Six weeks. That's a month and a half."

"I know how long six weeks is, Rose."

"I'm freaking out here, sorry if I state the obvious."

Dimitri softens. "I know, how are you?"

Rose wraps her arms around her middle. "I don't know. Mad at first."

"Clearly." Dimitri murmurs wryly.

"How are you?"

"I like kids."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"It's…sooner than I think either of us would have preferred, but I really do like kids."

"I remember. I suppose I'm going to have to go on leave."

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

"I'm serious Rose, I know you aren't, or at least weren't, big on being a mother."

"Tell me about it, we've talked though, I'm ok."

"Okay. I love you Roza."

"Love you to Comrade."

 **A bit more emotional than I usually write, but yeah. In case it wasn't obvious toward the end, Rose is pregnant. Don't know if I should make this a two-shot, PM me if you want me to write another chapter. If it** _ **is**_ **a two-shot, the second chapter will probably be right after the kid is born with Dimitri and Rose discussing names.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey! I kept telling myself that I wasn't going to work on** _ **Curveball**_ **until after I finished my Bloodlines fic** _ **Wait, Break, Resuscitate**_ **but this popped into my mind and I had to get it out before I forgot. Disclaimer: I did not write the Vampire Academy series or affiliated characters.**

 **3** **rd** **POV**

Dimitri lifts Rose's legs and sits on the couch, placing her feet on his lap. She'd stopped vomiting, _finally_ , but her body had traded throwing up for being completely exhausted. Rose sighs happily as Dimitri gently begins rubbing her socked feet.

"Still feeling tired?"

"Mmhm. You know, they say exhaustion is a sign of having a son."

"Where did you hear that?"

"Karolina."

"Don't listen to her."

Rose snorts and peeks an eyelid open. "What do you want? Son or daughter?"

Dimitri gazes off for a minute. "I want a healthy child and a healthy wife."

Rose rolls her eyes. "There you go with your Zen Master Wisdom."

Dimitri grins. "It's true."

"Dimitri."

"What do you want?"

Rose's lips part and her head tilts. "I…well…fine! You win."

"It wasn't a contest Roza. Come here."

Rose crawls over and leans against Dimitri. "I found a name we could use if it is a boy."

"Oh yeah?"

"Ivan…if you're okay with it." Rose knew the topic of Dimitri's former charge and late friend was sensitive.

"I love you so much Rose. Thank you."

"So…that would be a yes? You're usually more straightforward."

"Yes, Ivan would be good for a son."

"I wanted to make sure it wouldn't dredge up bad memories."

"It won't. Not anymore."

 **Very short, but I wanted to incorporate a bit of what they considered as a name before they knew the gender. I also wanted to show a softer side of Rose that usually isn't seen.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hehe. Back again, but I can't seem to stop writing today. Disclaimer: I didn't write the Vampire Academy series or affiliated characters.**

 **3** **rd** **POV**

Rose can't draw her eyes away from the newest sonogram. The little blob she'd first seen had been slowly turning into something that represented an alien and then a human. A daughter. A baby girl. A mini-Rose. Dimitri squeezes her hand gently as he gazes at the sonogram on the screen. The doctor silently prints two copies of the sonogram and hands them to the couple. Dimitri thanks her quietly as she begins cleaning the gel off of Rose's stomach.

"A daughter. Do you think this means she's going to act like me?"

Dimitri laughs and kisses the crown of Rose's head. "I don't know. I think she's your child, so there is always a chance of her being like you."

"It has nothing to do with gender? Like, a boy wouldn't be like you and not like me?"

"No. It doesn't hinge on gender."

"Oh…maybe I should read some of those books."

"Maybe."

"Or I could buy Spark Notes."

This causes Dimitri to laugh and kiss Rose again. "I'll read you the interesting bits.

"Thanks…and massage my feet. You're good at that."

"What a relief. Come on, let's grab lunch somewhere."

Rose takes Dimitri's hand and they head out after paying the bill. Despite being excited about having a baby, Rose dreads the day people begin finding out. She sort of understood Sydney and Adrian's decision about Declan, but she fully gets it now. People could want to experiment on her daughter and that terrifies her.

"People won't try to do tests on her, right?"

Dimitri looks down at his wife and tugs her into a private hall before cupping her cheeks. "Roza, I will personally stake anyone who tries."

"You'll end up in prison!"

"Then it'll be up to you…you could always flee to Maine."

Rose grins slightly. "I don't want them using her, this is unprecedented for all they know."

"It is, but you forget that we have people on our side. We have Lissa and Christian, Sonya and Mikhail, Jill and Eddie, Sydney and Adrian, Danielle and Declan. We have support, no one will allow our daughter to be used as a test subject. I promise. I _promise_."

"Okay. Thank you."

"It's what I'm here for."

 **Another short one. This time I wanted to bring to light not only when they found out the child's gender, but the fear that Rose has as a parent for her child in a world that's never seen something like a Dhampir/Dhampir child.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright, I decided to make this a two-shot with this chapter taking place after the baby is born. Translation at bottom of chapter.**

 **3** **rd** **POV**

Rose cradles the small bundle in her arms while Dimitri lets Lissa into the room. As soon as Lissa is passed the threshold, Dimitri is back at Rose's side. Lissa quietly moves to the other side of Rose and softly squeals.

"She's _so_ tiny."

"I know. She's precious…but labor was still a total pain."

Lissa giggles and the baby opens her eyes and waves a small fist in the air. "Hello baby. I'm sure you've been hearing this a lot, but you're _so cute_. I'm Auntie Lissa…or Liss, whichever is easier."

"Rambling."

Lissa looks up to Rose and Dimitri. "She's adorable."

"I know. It's mostly me."

"Roza, modesty is a real thing."

"Modesty is for the insecure."

Dimitri laughs and rubs the child's cheek with his forefinger.

"What's her name?"

"Katerina Ania Belikov. We'll probably call her Katya or Kat for short. Maybe Rina."

"Katerina Ania Belikov." Lissa rolls the name in her mouth with a slight smile. "I like it."

"Good. We'd keep it even if you didn't." Rose yawns halfway through.

Dimitri scoops Katya out of her arms and stands. "Get some rest lyubovnyy."

"M'kay."

Lissa leaves after pressing a kiss to Rose's cheek and giving another excited squeal. Once the door is shut, Dimitri turns to Lissa. "You want to hold her?"

Lissa smiles teasingly. "You want to let her go?"

"Only for a few minutes."

"Of course I want to hold her."

Dimitri shifts Katya before placing her in Lissa's arms. Lissa immediately pulls the small child close and peers down at Katya's face. Her dark eyes peer up into Lissa's green ones inquisitively. Her skin is the same almond-y color as Rose's, but her fuzzy hair is darker, more like Dimitri's. "She really is beautiful."

"Like her mother."

Lissa rolls her eyes as she looks back up at Dimitri. "She'd say the same about you."

"Maybe she'll inherit my 'Zen master wisdom' that Rose so loves."

Lissa laughs, startling Katya slightly. "Oh sorry. Maybe..."–Katya begins squirming and Lissa hurriedly adjusts her grip.–"Maybe you should take her back. Don't want to drop her." Dimitri complies and cradles his daughter against his chest. "She's so small, especially compared to you."

"She'll grow quickly. Of that I have no doubt."

"Yeah."–Lissa yawns.–"I think I'm going to follow Rose's example, I'll grab one of the apartments and nap. _Call me_ when Rose wakes back up."

Dimitri seems amused. "Okay." Once Lissa disappears down the hall, he reenters Rose's room to find her wide eyed. "You were supposed to sleep."

"Oh well. Gimme." Rose reaches for Katya, to which Dimitri quickly complies with her demand.

"You are going to be way protective."

"You think so?"

"Yes, Roza, I think so." Dimitri lowers himself into the bed next to Rose and wraps an arm around her.

"She'll be a knockout."

"Lissa said the same thing."

"Well, it's true."

"In that case, we should work on Number 2. She'll need a brother."

"Dimitri!"

 **Lyubovnyy means love (adjective). I won't write another chapter for this, but I might (at a later date) decide to delve further into this idea of Romitri's life and kids.**


	5. Chapter 5

**So, I don't know what you call the child of your cousin, but on the Vampire Academy Wiki pages for Declan and Dimitri it just says that they're cousins...so I went with it for Katerina. Disclaimer: I did not write the Vampire Academy series or affiliated characters.**

 **3** **rd** **POV**

Considering that Adrian was an artist, and Dimitri's cousin, they'd asked him to paint the nursery to fit the furniture they'd bought. Adrian had insisted on keeping the room private until he was done, which made Rose unduly nervous. Wrongfully so. He'd painted the ceiling to look like fluffy clouds, complete with a few 'cloud' chandeliers. Three walls got a pale lilac color while the fourth wall got a mural from _Peter Rabbit_. When Katerina was brought home, she seemed to be entranced by the clouds hanging in her room. She was even more entranced by the spiral galaxy that lit up when Dimitri turned the lights out. Rose had laughed when the ceiling lit up and murmured something about Adrian doing nothing without a show.

Now, five days after Katerina and Rose had come home from the hospital, they'd invited Adrian to meet his baby cousin. Sydney had, surprisingly, come to Court with Adrian, so they are both supposed to arrive in five minutes and Rose is sweating bullets.

"Roza, relax, they know how to handle small children. They had a newborn at one point in time, remember?"

"Declan is _four_ , what if they forgot?"

Dimitri cups Rose's cheeks with an amused grin. "Are we talking about the same Sydney Ivashkov?"

She offers a small laugh. "That's true…how are you so calm?"

"Meditation."

Rose rolls her eyes and takes a deep breath. "Okay. Okay, they know how to handle children. Especially tiny ones. No reason to panic."

"No."

"Okay." Rose is still getting over her mini freak-out when the doorbell rings, so Dimitri volunteers to get the door while she wakes Katerina.

"Come in, Rose is getting Katerina."

"Thanks for having us over." Sydney smiles as she steps into the house before Adrian.

"How're things going with Katerina? She a calm or outgoing baby?"

"A bit of both."

"So a perfectly equal mix of you and Rose? Ironic."

"Genetically and psychologically ironic." Sydney pipes from her spot on the couch.

Adrian grins as he sits next to her. "Of course. How could I forget the science part?"

"Say hi." Rose murmurs from the steps, little Katerina sleepy in her arms. Katerina begins babbling when she spots her father and Dimitri responds in turn.

"She loves the ceiling of her room. She can't stop grabbing for the clouds."

"I'm glad, Sydney said that children need multi-sensory experiences around them as well as opportunities to learn through daily absorption."

"Okay."–Rose spreads a soft blanket on the floor and motions Dimitri to set Katerina down.–"She doesn't particularly like being held by strangers, she threw a fit the second time Lissa held her."

"My younger sister did the same thing as a child. I remember complaining about how she was hindering my Early Childhood Development education."

"You are seriously weird." Rose comments as Sydney and Adrian take a seat on the other side of the blanket.

Katerina glances at the newcomers with wide eyes before waving her arms and legs wildly. Adrian instantly melts at the sight and gently tickles Katerina's stomach. "Sydney, I want another one."

"I'm aware. Hello Katerina, are you enjoying your higher control of the motor cortex?"

"She's been teaching anatomy to Declan using an AP Anatomy textbook."

"He fluent in Spanish yet?"

"And English and he's now learning Mandarin with her. You are _adorable_ , yes you are, yes you are."

Rose glances at Dimitri in amusement at Adrian's quick switch from normal talk to cutesy talk. It makes her feel a bit better about how others might react, especially if they've had kids of their own. The fear she'd had earlier in the pregnancy had come back almost in full swing once Katerina was born. Dimitri, however, was right and the fear was alleviating bit by bit.

 **I think this is the longest chapter for** _ **Curveball**_ **so far. I may have made Sydney too obviously brainy considering a certain conversation she had w/ Adrian about pulling back her intelligence, but whatever. I also wanted to bring back some of Rose's concern from Chapter 4.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello :) Things have been crazy recently…or as crazy as four days can be. Translation at the bottom. The idea for this chapter was given by luciinwaters. Disclaimer: I did not write the Vampire Academy Series or affiliated characters**

 **3** **rd** **POV**

Janine waited patiently until Dimitri ascended the stairs to put Katerina down for a nap before turning to Rose. "You know, you don't have to keep up the hoax."

"What?"

"The hoax. I know the baby isn't Dimitri's. I'm glad he didn't leave, but you should definitely report the Moroi who impregnated you."

Rose stares at her mother in abject horror. "Katerina _is_ Dimitri's daughter!"

Janine sighs in exasperation. "All I'm asking is that you have someone take care of the biological father…unless you willingly cheated–"

"God! Just shut up will you! Spirit affects your body's aura. Being brought back from being a Strigoi does something else. It…it changed Dimitri in a way that made it possible to have children with other Dhampirs. I'm telling you, Dimitri really _is_ Katerina's father."

Janine processes this for a minute before settling her eyes back on Rose. "People will want to do tests on her. Blood, Spirit, regular magic, physical, intelligence, that sort of thing."

"Mom!" Rose feels the familiar fear for her daughter rising.

"I'm just warning you. Dimitri and you might be two of the better known Guardians, your best friend might be Queen Vasilisa, but are you really so naïve to think people won't get past that somehow?"–Janine eyes Rose again.–"You're still young, only twenty-one when you got married, twenty-three now; there is still a lot of things for you to learn, among them being the idea that people don't care what a younger generation thinks or does."

"Mom." The word is just a whisper this time and Janine clucks sympathetically.

"It'll be fine eventually. Once another Dhampir-Dhampir child is born, Katerina will be forgotten."

Rose held back the urge to tell her mother that Katerina _wasn't_ the first child born to two Dhampirs, but she loved Sydney and Adrian, respected them too, so she stayed silent. "I…I think you should go."

Janine looks shocked. "What?"

"Please."

Janine blinks a few times before nodding slowly. "Okay. I'll see you later."

"Yeah, sure." Rose rubs her arms as she watches her mother leave. Was Janine right? _Would_ people get past the protected she and Dimitri had set up? Worrying her lip, Rose stood stock still for several minutes, only moving when Dimitri came back down the stairs.

"Everything all right?"–She gives a noncommittal answer and Dimitri peers at her carefully.–"Roza?"

"What if they get to her? The doctors and scientists."

"They won't. We're around her every minute of every day, Lissa wouldn't let anyone touch her, and Christian won't either."

"Maybe."

"Maybe? Where's this coming from? Has…has someone tried to get to her?"

Rose smiles wanly. "Just Janine."

"Ah."

"Ah? Ah what?"

Dimitri smiles as Rose turns fiery. "Ah, I suspected she might say something."

"Oh."

The doorbell rings before either can say anything more. "That should be Abe."

"You invited my father over?"

Dimitri gives Rose an amused look. "He's your father, he invited himself over. He should make you feel a bit better."

"Where's my Rose?!"

"Shush, Katerina is sleeping." Rose's words are muffled as Abe embraces her tightly. "Hi old man."

"How are you? Are sleeping well? Feeling well?"

"I'm fine. Mildly. Yes."

"Mildly? Let's sit." Abe, in all his colorful glory, leads Rose to the couch and holds her hand.

"Mildly. I have a newborn daughter, there's no way I can sleep completely through the night."

"That's what Dimitri is for." Abe turns his eye on the man in question as he speaks.

"Would you like tea Abe?"

"Only if you have Turkish or Maghrebi mint tea."

"Turkish it is."

"What about me?!" Rose exclaims, mostly in jest.

"You don't drink tea Roza." Dimitri calls from the kitchen.

"Back to the comment about Dimitri…you realize he can't breastfeed, right?"

Abe hums and smiles. "I could arrange that."

"Ew! I do not need to think of a male Dimitri with boobs."

"Fair enough. Has anyone bothered the child?"

"Just Janine."

"Oh Janine. What did she say?"

"Oh, just what every mother wants to hear, that someone is going to experiment on her baby girl."

"She said that?"

"Only after she found out Katerina was related, by blood, to Dimitri."

"They will, but it won't happen."

"She told me it would. That people would find a way."

"She just wants you to be aware of the world."

"Old man, I've died and come back to life, escaped custody with a Moroi princess, got captured by Strigoi and escaped, hunted down and killed the man I love, helped _restore_ the man I love, broke someone out of prison, got out of high security prison myself, cleared my name of treason, saved the queen's life, and helped find _another_ Moroi princess…I think I'm aware of the world, thank-you-very-much."

"Don't forget to add that you died again, got married, and had a kid."

" _Or_ that you traipsed all over Russia." Dimitri interjects as he hands over Abe's tea.

Rose groans. "Okay! My point is made though."

"Don't let your mother get you down."–Abe tips back the tea and finishes the cup in a few sips.–"I'll talk to her and come back when my little büyük bebek is awake."

Rose stares after Abe before turning to Dimitri. "I have no idea what he just said."

"I don't speak Turkish, but I believe he said something along the lines of grandchild, granddaughter, or grandbaby."

"What the hell is up with my parents today?"

"Not sure."

"Okay. When are your sisters and mom coming in?"

"Two days. They're staying in one of the apartments near us."

"Cool. Hopefully they'll be a little less weird."

"Stress isn't good for you, if it makes you feel better, I'll talk to Lissa about extra protection for Katerina."

"Thank you."

Dimitri kisses the top of Rose's head. "No problem, Roza." Somehow, Dimitri felt that it wouldn't be quite so simple to keep Rose from freaking out about Katerina. No…this felt like just the beginning.

 **Büyük bebek is grandbaby**

 **Should I keep calling the baby Katerina, or should I use a nickname? Possible nicknames would be Kat, Kate, Katya, Teri, or Rina. PM me with your thoughts. Abe was only in this for a short period, but he'll show back up. I also figured that Dimitri would find a way to get his family to come in to Court to meet baby Katerina.**


	7. Chapter 7

**So, I was going through the VA wiki page and found out that Dimitri has a niece named Katya, and then Samia(Guest) told me that Sonya has a sister named Katya…it could be a bit confusing. Thoughts? Translation at bottom, like usual. Forewarning, there's a** _ **lot**_ **of translating…the Belikov family has arrived! Disclaimer: I did not write the Vampire Academy series or affiliated characters.**

 **3** **rd** **POV**

Rose rearranges Katerina's blanket as Dimitri is greeted by rapid Russian. Once Olena is done with him, she gently hugs Rose around the baby. Viktoria immediately rushes to Rose's side and coos over Katerina.

"She's so _tiny_!" Viktoria squeals.

"She's a baby."

"But she's tinier than Katya or Paul or Zoya."

Rose looks down at her wide-eyed daughter and smiles slightly. "She has the genes to be tall."

Olena tugs Viktoria away from Rose and the baby so Sonja and Karolina can catch a look. Rose glances up, surprised Dimitri hasn't returned from the entryway, only to spot three children hanging off her husband. Grinning, she ducks her head back to Katerina and shifts her.

"Do either of you want to hold her?"

Sonja smiles and steps aside to let Karolina take the child. "She's beautiful, the perfect mix of you and Dimka."

"Mm. A good thing too, she'll make a remarkable Guardian."

Karolina tickles Katerina's cheek and shakes her head when the baby swings her fists around and babbles. "How long are you on leave?"

"Three months."

"Try not to act like it's the worst thing in the world." Dimitri calls, scooping Katya off his leg and pulling Zoya around to his back.

"It isn't…but three months?"

Dimitri just drops a kiss to the top of her head and sits between his mother and grandmother. Karolina hands Katerina off to Sonja who, much like Karolina, holds Katerina with a practiced hand.

Yeva blusters in Russian with a wide smile and Rose scowls. Though she can only understand snippets of the conversation, Rose can tell that Yeva is _definitely_ boasting. Viktoria pops up as Rose takes Katerina back from Sonja.

"Can I hold her?"

"Sure…but be careful."–Rose, somewhat reluctantly, hands Katerina over.–"You remember how you held Katya? It's the same way."

Viktoria cradles the small bundle with poorly concealed excitement. Despite carrying two children, Dimitri reaches over and rubs Rose's hand lightly.

"I knew it! I told you you'd have little Katen'ka."

Rose returns to scowling. "You did not! You said a 'surprise' would be coming, not a baby!"

"You weren't listening."

"I–"

"Roza."

She glances to Dimitri and sighs heavily. Katerina begins crying and Viktoria, eyes wide, all but shoves her back into Rose's arms. "I'll be back in a few minutes." Rose slips upstairs and Viktoria sits back down. Zoya slides off Dimitri's back and settles up against her brother.

Still cradling Katya, Dimitri sits in an empty chair and grins. "What are you studying in school now Paul?"

"Algebra II, Adv. Chem, AP Moroi History, and combat training."

"Impressive. How do you like the classes?"

"They're good."–Paul shrugs a little sheepishly.–"They're too easy."

Dimitri chuckles and shakes his head. "How is it going with Stepan, Karolina?"

Karolina rolls her eyes in amusement. "We all come over to see your new daughter and you ask us about how our lives are going. Stepan and I are good. He wants to get married, but…"

"He's a Guardian."

"Yeah. He's good to the children."

"I'm not a kid, mom!" Paul intercepts the conversation, somewhat disgruntled.

"You're younger than me by 16 years, you're a kid."

Dimitri laughs. "What do you like to do Zoya?"

"Paint! And pway with Katya. She's sweeping." Zoya finishes right as Katya lets out a loud snore causing everyone to laugh.

"They're best friends. It helps that they're only 10 months apart."

"Sonja?"

"Good. I stay with the Zoya and Katya part-time and work at the pharmacy the rest of the time."

"Viktoria?"

"I got assigned to one of the Moroi I went to school with. It's going well, but kind of boring, they _never_ travel."

"You want your job to be boring Viktoria, trust me."

"I guess. I'm not saying I want a Strigoi attack, that would be awful. But it would be nice if they could come to Court every now and again. It's so frustrating. Ya khochu, chtoby delat'klassnyye veshchi, kak i vy."

"Terpeniye. Vy tak mnogo, kak Roza, gotov k deystviyu. Mama?"

"Khorosho. Rady vstretit'sya s moim bol'shoy rebenok."

"Oni vernustya, ona prosto goloden."

" _Very_ hungry, actually."

Dimitri turns with a smile at the sound of Rose's voice. "There's my little kuznechik."

"I really hoping you're talking about the baby." Rose places Katerina in Dimitri's waiting arms and takes a seat on the floor beside Paul.

"Of course, Roza."

"Your house will need a renovation soon." Yeva murmurs cryptically, causing Rose to groan loudly.

 **Ya khochu, chtoby delat'klassnyye veschi, kak i vy. Means: I want to do cool stuff, like you.**

 **Terpeniye means patience**

 **Vy tak mnogo, kak Roza, gotov k deystviyu. Means: you are so much like Rose, ready for action.**

 **Khorosho. Rady vstretit'sya s moim bol'shoy rebenok. Means: good. Excited to meet my grandbaby.**

 **Oni vernutsya, ona prosto goloden. Means: they'll be back, she's just hungry.**

 **Kuznechik means grasshopper**

 **Like I said, a** _ **lot**_ **of translating. I can still use Katya as a nn for Katerina, but I wanted to put what I found out there before I make the decision (a lot of people like Katya for Katerina).**


	8. Chapter 8

**Been a while since I posted something for this story. Disclaimer: I did not write the Vampire Academy series or affiliated characters.**

 **3** **rd** **POV**

Abe coos down at the wide, brown eyes staring up at him. The baby's tiny pink lips separate in a giggle and Katerina's legs kick around. A soft sigh escapes Rose's lips and Abe glances over. She's asleep. Abe feels a sense of pride come over him; Rose feels secure enough that he'll take care of the baby to fall asleep. Then comes the realization that she _probably_ hasn't had much sleep since Katerina was born.

There's a low, metallic sound at the door and Abe whirls in surprise, only to find his son-in-law entering along with one of his sisters. Dimitri doesn't say a word as he takes in the scene: his wife passed out on the couch and Abe holding a squirming Katerina.

"What exactly did the two of you do?"

"We practiced sparring methods."

"Who's sleeping?" Viktoria questions.

Dimitri glances back at her with a soft grin. "Roza."

"That would explain the look on your face…hi Abe."

"Hello Viktoria. Your daughter needs a new diaper, Dimitri."

Dimitri moves into Katerina's line of sight and her arms stretch toward him eagerly. "Hello kuznechik. Vika, you can put your stuff down in the kitchen, just don't wake Rose."

"Thanks." Abe glances at the bag slung over Viktoria's shoulder as Dimitri heads upstairs.

Rose wakes to noises at the back of the house. Reflexively, she yanks open the coffee table's drawer and withdraws a stake. Rolling off the couch, Rose drops silently to her feet and creeps forward, arms slightly raised. Edging forward on bare feet, Rose presses herself against the wall separating the kitchen from the living room.

"Roza? I thought you were sleeping."

Rose drops her arms with a sigh, and turns with a mock glare. "You shouldn't sneak up on an armed Guardian. Hi baby."

Dimitri hands over their daughter and plucks the stake from Rose's hand. "She needed a diaper change and, apparently, Abe isn't qualified."

She groans. "I didn't mean to fall asleep. It just sorta…happened."

"Mm. Viktoria is in the kitchen going over old reports of ours."

"Why?"

"She wants to be a better Guardian, Abe is with her."

Padding into the kitchen, Rose presses a kiss to the top of Viktoria's head and plops down in a chair. "Hear you're reading over old reports, how's it going?"

"Pretty well."–Viktoria looks up with a grin.–"You two have crazy lives."

Snorting, Rose returns the grin. "No kidding."

"Hand over my little torun."

"Seriously old man? I wake up and you demand to have my baby back?"

* * *

 **Kuznechik means grasshopper in Russian.**

 **Torun means granddaughter in Turkish.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Wow! I didn't realize how long it'd been since I updated this. Admittedly, I've been pretty shitty when it comes to updating recently, skipped three updates on my Bloodlines story.** _ **Anyway**_ **, you all have amazing patience :) I'm looking for a fic under the Vampire Academy category, it's a bunch of one-shots. I don't know the author or the title, but I know one of the shots has to do with a water park, and it's _long_. Been meaning to favorite it, but keep forgetting and now I can't remember who wrote it. Translation at bottom like always. Disclaimer: I did not write the Vampire Academy series or affiliated characters.**

* * *

Rose presses a palm to her temple as Katya lets out another unearthly screech. For the first time in a while, Rose and Katya were completely alone and, as luck would have it, Katya starts screaming and won't stop. Rose tried everything: rocking, singing, feeding, changing diapers, turning music on, playing…to no avail. Finally, Rose sets Katya down on her blanket and crouches with her hands pressed tightly against her ears. The screaming has been going on for well over thirty minutes and it _just won't stop_.

After a minute of sitting in the crouched position, Rose finally picks Katya up again, and trails upstairs. Holding Katya on her lap, Rose goes to her laptop and quickly searches for ways to soothe babies. Her expression brightens as she reads something she hasn't tried yet. Standing, Rose keeps a hand on Katya's stomach as she bends to the dresser and grabs one of Dimitri's shirts. Wrapping Katya in the fabric, Rose quickly dials her mother-in-law and heads back toward the living room with a wailing Katya.

"Hi…ow!"

"Rose? Everything alright?"

"I can't get her to stop."

"Okay. You at home?"

"No, I went to the mall."

"Rose, try to relax. I promise I'll be there as soon as possible."

"Thank you… _ow!_ "

Olena hangs up with her daughter-in-law and casts a look around the house. Everyone is either busy or out. She shouts a noncommittal, "I'll be back!" as she slips her shoes on and hurriedly leaves the house. As she approaches Rose and Dimitri's residence, she becomes a bit hesitant at the loud crying that emanates from the place. Olena, fairly confident Rose won't stab her, lets herself into the house and quickly assesses the situation.

"What is she wrapped in Rose?"

"Dimitri's shirt. I read something…it isn't helping. _Nothing_ is helping." Rose looks so distraught, her words nearly a shout.

"Okay, okay. Come here, give little bozh'ya korovka to me."–Olena takes the child from Rose and settles her comfortably.–"Kto milaya bozh'ya korovka? Kto milaya bozh'ya korovka? Ty. Da Vy! Uspokoysya sladkiy odin, tvoya mama podcherkivayestya. Vy budete chuvstvovat' sebya luchshe, i my mozhem igrat', i to papa budet doma. _Vse_ budet luchshe."

With hiccupping breaths, Katya's crying slows until only large crocodile tears are dripping down her face. Rose watches the scene incredulously. "Great. My child only responds to Russian. I don't speak Russian."

Olena gently kisses Katya's head before handing her back to Rose. "I would talk to Dimitri about speeding up those lessons of yours."

Rose's brow crinkles as she gingerly holds Katya. "We got distracted…multiple times."

"Ah."

Olena turns to leave, but is stopped when a hand snaps around her wrist. Turning, she notices that Rose's eyes are slightly pleading. "Don't go. What if…what if I can't calm her down again? Just until Dimitri gets back."

Olena didn't need much of a reason to stay with her daughter-in-law and granddaughter, so she caves easily. "Okay."

"Thank you. He gets off at 4am today."

"Only a few more hours then."

* * *

Dimitri doesn't even register what's happening at first. After a minute everything clicks and he carefully removes his weapons belt before crouching beside Rose and embracing her. "Roza. What's wrong?"

"She cried for almost forty-five minutes and I couldn't help her!"

Shifting so he's sitting comfortably on the floor, Dimitri pulls Rose into his lap and cradles her shaking form against him. "What got her to stop?"

"I called Olena…I can't do it Dimitri."

"Can't do what?"

"Calm our goddamn daughter! She didn't respond when I tried to comfort her, but your mother starts talking to her in Russian and _poof!_ All better."

"She did have four children and three of her grandchildren live with her."

"Aren't mothers supposed to know these things?"

"It takes time. You're with her every day, all day; you'll get to know her likes and dislikes. She's only three weeks old, give it time."

" _Or_ , you could stay here with her and I could go on Guardian duty."

"Medical won't allow it."

"So, I can at least do _something_."

Dimitri sighs and rubs Rose's back in circles. "If you want to do something active, you could go to the gym. Hang out with Lissa."

They both cringe at the last suggestion, which finally coaxes a smile out of Rose. "Not such a good idea to be around my best friend right now…she's kind of a target."

"Come on, let's see our little kuznechik and get dressed in something comfortable. We can watch a movie and binge on whatever candy you still have in the pantry." Dimitri unfolds himself and holds a hand out to Rose, who can't resist the offer.

* * *

 _ **Kto milaya bozh'ya korovka? Kto milaya bozh'ya korovka?**_ **Means: Who's a sweet ladybug? Who's a sweet ladybug?**

 _ **Ty. Da Vy!**_ **Means: You are. Yes, you are!**

 _ **Uspokoysya sladkiy odin, tvoya mama podhcerkivayestya**_ **. Means: Calm down sweet one, your mommy is stressed.**

 _ **Vy budet chuvstovat' sebya luchshe, i my mozhem igrat', i to papa budet doma. Vse budet luchshe.**_ **Means: You'll feel better, and we can play, and then daddy will be home. It'll be all better.**

 _ **Kuznechik**_ **means grasshopper**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello! For some reason I've been thinking a lot about Rose and Dimitri lately…maybe it's time to reread the books. Anywho, the idea for this chapter came out of that thinking. Disclaimer: I did not write the Vampire Academy series or affiliated characters.**

* * *

 **3** **rd** **POV**

Rose stares in both awe and shock at the object Dimitri is holding.

"How in the world did you find that?"

Dimitri grins. "The internet, Roza."

"In that size?"

Dimitri's grin stretches even wider at her dubious tone. "Wasn't that hard."

Rose shakes her head slowly, remembering how Sydney managed to find a duster while on the run. "Yeah…but it's…it's Katya's size. You found a duster in _Katya's_ size. How is that even possible?"

"The internet."

Rose rolls her eyes and takes the proffered duster from Dimitri. It really is tiny compared to Dimitri's. Sighing, Rose laughs and slips the duster on the hanger she'd been about to put away. "You, Mr. Belikov, are certifiable. And kind of adorable."

"Adorable?"

"You got our daughter, who is not even a month old, a duster. So, yes, you're adorable."

Katya gurgles from her spot in her crib, causing both Dimitri and Rose to melt.

"Let's put it on her now."

* * *

 **Super short, but I thought it was kinda cute ;)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello! Been a while since I updated, but I went to one of Richelle Mead's signings for** _ **Soundless**_ **and all of a sudden I had a great idea. My heart goes out to those in France, especially the ones injured or have injured/dead family members or friends. Disclaimer: I did not write the Vampire Academy series or affiliated characters.**

* * *

 **3** **rd** **POV**

Rose gently tugs a hat over Katya's head and swaps her keys off the hook before heading to Lissa and Christian's place. It wouldn't really be chilly out if it weren't for the breeze and Rose was positive it was still warm enough that Katya wouldn't be in danger of freezing, but she didn't want to take any chances.

"Excuse me! Excuse me, Guardian Hathaway?"

Rose turns and is faced with a man in a nice suit. Moroi. "Can I help you?"

"Would you mind if I took a look at your little one? Dimitri Belikov is the biological father and you are the biological mother?"

"No. Yes. Why?"

"Well, because she's the first Dhampir-Dhampir child born."

"It's Spirit." Rose responds deadpan before trying to move past the man. He blocks her, causing a growl to rise in Rose's throat."

"I apologize dear, but _how_ is it Spirit."

Rose shifts Katya away from the man and sighs. "When you're Restored from being Strigoi and you're a Dhampir, you are now able to conceive with another Dhampir. Happy?"

"Restored Strigoi are imperious to being turned again, which means the child…" the man trails off and looks at Katya in wonder. "Oh, you really _must_ let me get a vial of her blood. If I can get it tested…this could be progress."

"The only thing you're getting if you _ever_ suggest using my daughter again is a broken spine. And we have progress, the tattoos? Those prevent new Strigoi from being created."

"You won't be able to get everyone!"

"Her blood won't help everyone either."

* * *

"Well, who was he?"

"I don't know Liss, a Moroi male. Pale, maybe 6'2", brown hair, blue eyes. Not all that remarkable except for the fact that he didn't get the memo that I stab first and ask later."

Christian snorts. " _Everyone_ knows how…feisty, you are."

"Shut up."––Rose shakes fist Katya wrapped around her fingers and grins down at her.––"Aren't you cute!? Yes you are, yes _you are_."

Lissa muffles a laugh and Christian chokes after Rose gives him a look.

"I stand by what I said the day she was born: she's adorable."

"She is." Christian sounds reluctant about the admission, but quickly shakes it off.

"Liss, the guy."

"I know. I'll find him. Maybe we can get a sketch artist or something."

Rose grimaces. "It's not just him, though. The more the news of Katya's unusual conception spreads, more doctors and scientists are going to be coming for me and Dimitri and Katya. The man said that she would be impervious to being turned into a Strigoi, that they could use her."

Christian's brow crinkles. "We have Sydney's tattoo, what does he think he can use Katya for?"

"I don't know."

"Everyone is going to want her."

* * *

 **Tada! Kinda surprised I managed to write this considering my headache has not been affected by the Advil I took about two hours ago :(**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! Sorry for the unplanned hiatus, just had a major writer's block and it finally ended. As per usual, Russian translation at the bottom. Also, there's a conversation between everyone's favorite couple that involves the insinuation of sex. Disclaimer: I own, but did not write, the Vampire Academy series…the affiliated characters I can make no claim to ;)**

* * *

 **3** **rd** **POV**

Rose wakes to find Dimitri gone, his side of the bed cold. Grabbing a random shirt, she pads down the hall to Katya's room, careful not to wake Viktoria. The youngest of Dimitri's sisters had decided to stay at Court and shadow some of the Guardians for a more in-depth education about how things really are. It's great to have someone else around, but Rose is driven to her wit's end by the lack of privacy. Reaching Katya's bedroom, Rose finds the door already open and Dimitri inside. He has Katya cradled in his arms and is softly singing in Russian. Leaning against the doorframe, Rose grins and shakes her head.

"Did I wake you, Roza?"

"No, something else did. Internal clock maybe." Rose enters the room and wraps an arm around Dimitri's waist before taking one of Katya's hands gently. "Hello baby, did you wake daddy up? Hm? How long _have_ you been up?"

"About an hour, I came in to watch her. She woke up a few minutes before you came in, the baby monitor is one of the best, you may have picked up on the rustling."

"Maybe. I'm up now, mind as well do a feeding."

Dimitri transfers Katya to Rose before grabbing a small towel for Rose's shoulder. Once Katya is settled, Dimitri carefully pulls Rose down so she's lying across his lap and wraps his arms around both her and the baby. Rose relaxes against him and Dimitri turns to press his lips to her head.

"Are you wearing my shirt?"

"Mm."––Rose looks at him with falsely innocent eyes.––"It was in the bedroom and I was…underdressed for walking about the house."

Dimitri laughs. "Imagine that, my shirt in our room. And if I recall correctly, it was me who made sure you were sufficiently bare before we went to bed."

"You're recalling it _very_ correctly."

They go quiet and for a few minutes the only sound in the room is Katya's suckling. Brushing her daughter's cheek, Rose finally bursts.

"Lissa is going to a Council meeting tomorrow…uh, today. Low key, nothing major, so I thought it'd be a good time to jump back into work."

'You've only been home for two months, and that's being generous about what counts as a month."

"Technically, I've been home for four."

"Doctor said––"

"The doctor is a Moroi! And maybe, _maybe_ time works for some Guardian mothers too, but I'm not most people. I am Rose Hathaway-Belikov, which means I don't plan on taking very much more time off."

Dimitri sighs heavily. "When's the meeting?"

"Today."

"What time, Rose?"

"Oh, about 2am. It shouldn't run more than an hour at most, they're just doing housekeeping stuff. Boring, really."

"I'm off shift."

"I know, Liss and I triple checked."

"So the decision is already made?"

"Yes. I figured it'd be easier to convince you to not be completely against the idea if you could be here with Katya. You know that of we wanted, Lissa and I could've changed the meeting time so you'd never know I was working. I don't mind having Viktoria babysit."

"Okay."

"But––wait, seriously? You're totally fine with this?"

Dimitri laughs. "I have to be don't I? There is no way I'd win."

"You could always kiss me, that's always a sure-fire way to win."

"Only because you get too distracted."

* * *

"Pochemu ya ne mogu idti, Dimitri?! Rose yest', ya budu tikho. Ten', kak nazvaniye govorit!" Viktoria pleads, following Dimitri into the kitchen.

"No. It has nothing to do with your ability to be quiet, or me, or Rose. You have to be preapproved for things like this and you're not. The Guardian you're following––"

"Is boring as shi––der'mo." Viktoria corrects after seeing Dimitri's look.

"Terpeniye Viktoria. Vy tak pokhozhi na Roza." Dimitri pauses to set Katya down on a blanket splayed over the kitchen table. "Sledit' za ney."

"Isn't being like Rose a _good thing?_ " Viktoria point out, sitting in the chair closest to Katya.

Laughing under his breath, Dimitri gets to work heating up a bottle for Katya. As the microwave heats, he considers what to say. "Da, being like Rose is a good thing in terms of skill, determination, and devotion. Patience, however, is something the both of you could work on a bit more. Viktoria, you just need to wait for another opportunity, then you can get approved by the head to follow one of the Guardians at the event, if not your own. Make sure she doesn't roll off the table."

"Is this a test? I take care of your daughter, you put in a quick word with the boss?"

"No, it's more of a 'watch Katya because you are staying in my house and I said so' sort of thing. You will succeed or fail on your own, as you must. If there is a situation in which you are truly being underused, then I will talk to someone about it."

"Is that what you did for Rose?"

"Somewhat. Rose got into trouble a lot and I didn't bail her out of it unless it was obvious she either needed someone to vouch for her, the punishment was too extreme, or the blame was wrongful. All I did other than that was train her."

"And kiss her."

Dimitri melts. "Yes, and kiss her."

The microwave beeps, causing Dimitri to turn his attention toward it once more. He has a laugh under his breath as he realizes just how similar his sister and wife are.

* * *

 _ **Pochemu ya ne mogu idti, Dimitri?! Rose yest', ya budu tikho. Ten', kak nazvaniye govorit!**_ **Why can't I go Dimitri?! Rose is there, I'll be quiet. A shadow, like the title says!**

 _ **Der'mo**_ **means shit.**

 _ **Terpeniye Viktoria. Vy tak pokhozhi na Roza.**_ **Patience Viktoria. You are so much like Roza.**

 _ **Sledit' za ney.**_ **Watch her.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello peeps! I'll be updating** _ **Curveball**_ **every other week, and my Bloodlines fic once a week. There aren't any set days for when I'll update, but I will do it in the intended week. Just thought you'd like a heads up. In a different stream, I'm planning on taking AP Studio Art–Drawing next year and was wondering if anyone has taken it before? If so, how rigid are the exam portfolio items scored and what was the course like in terms of what was taught (a regular art class where you get a prompt and have to do a project matching the criteria or something closer to art theory)? This one is short, but the next one will be longer, promise ;) Disclaimer: I did not write the Vampire Academy series or any affiliated characters.**

* * *

 **3** **rd** **POV**

Rose completely underestimated just how tiring standing around could be. Though she'd been keeping fit throughout the pregnancy and afterwards, by the time Lissa wraps up the meeting, she's completely wiped. Letting herself into the house, she plops onto the couch and flings an arm over her eyes. Comfortable couch, quiet house, perfect for napping. Wiggling around a bit to get comfortable, Rose settles into the cushions right as Katya starts crying.

"You've _got_ to me kidding me."

After meandering upstairs, Rose peeks into Katya's room to see what the commotion is about and nearly starts laughing. Nearly. Katya is dressed up in her duster with Dimitri cradling her while reading a western aloud. Of all the things Rose had imagined making Katya cry, being read a western to hadn't even made the list.

"You planning on making her stop that?"

Dimitri turns his head with a grin. "I picked up the book to comfort her. She started crying when I put on music."

"No wonder. You buy any music that was written after the fall of the Berlin Wall yet, Comrade?" Rose inquires, sitting on the floor and leaning her head on one of Dimitri's legs.

"There's nothing wrong with my music, you just don't have the same taste."

"Does anyone?"

"Hush, I was reading."

Rose sighs and figures that she mind as well sleep here. Dimitri's book will surely put her to sleep after Katya stops wailing. This way, she won't have to move when said baby gets hungry. It's a win-win situation.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello! Everyone enjoying their summer? This one has a pretty light tone and gets a** ** _tad_** **sappy at the end :P I have a wretched book hangover and am in desperate need of suggestions! Also, I keep getting an error message on FF when I try to upload documents. It says I don't have the correct msword format. Any ideas on how to fix this? Disclaimer: I did not write the Vampire Academy series or affiliated characters.**

* * *

 **3** **rd** **POV**

Dimitri grins as he watches Rose play peek-a-boo with Katya. It's one of those rare autumn nights where the weather decides to cooperate and the temperatures breach 70. With both Dimitri and Rose only working part-time, it they both had time to take Katya out and Dimitri suggested a picnic. Appropriate for a baby while also satisfying the Dhampirs' seemingly endless hunger.

Katya makes a grab for Rose's braid, but Rose quickly pulls back with a laugh. Dimitri makes a mental note to ask Viktoria to babysit so he can take Rose out with her hair down. He wasn't too surprised to learn that Katya likes to pull hair–his sisters and nieces and nephews all enjoyed it too–but it hadn't quite registered that it meant Rose would wear her hair back like she does when on duty; he misses the slightly curling locks.

Checking to make sure his own hair is secure, he moves closer to where Rose and Katya are playing and joins in. Katya is all too enthusiastic to have two playmates and Dimitri and Rose take turns playing peek-a-boo or making faces or tickling her. If any of the other people enjoying the weather finds their behavior obnoxious or odd, no one comments, either being too polite or too afraid of the celebrity couple.

They stay in the park area eating and talking even after Katya falls asleep. It's then that Dimitri offers his plan of a date night to Rose. She takes it better than expected, nodding slowly in thought.

"Would this be a onetime thing or would it occur every few weeks?"

"However often we see fit. We hardly ever get any time to ourselves, between Katya and Viktoria we've got our hands full."

Rose hums in response and squints at the sky. "We should definitely do it at least once a month. We don't even have to do anything, just get out of the house by ourselves when we're not working."

"So at least once a month and we can do anything. Any other parameters?"

"Alone. We can do anything as long as we're _alone_."

Dimitri laughs and pulls Rose closer to him, a feat considering they're already sitting shoulder-to-shoulder. "That was the idea, Roza."

"Hey, I'm just saying, we seem to attract attention like lights attract moths."

"If we are interrupted you have to be nice, hm?"

"Nuh-uh."

Dimitri laughs again. "That wasn't really a question."

"Then you shouldn't've phrased it like one, Comrade."

"Oh Roza."

Their conversation peters out and they sit content to watch Katya sleep. Her little eyelids flicker as she dreams and occasionally she'll gurgle or twitch one of her hands or feet. Rose had never thought she'd be this content with a baby, let alone one that belonged to her, but ever since she'd calmed down about being pregnant she couldn't imagine it any other way.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey! Disclaimer: I did not write the Vampire Academy series or affiliated characters.**

* * *

 **3rdPOV**

Lissa watches Rose hold Katya with a grin. "She's only getting cuter, you know."

"Believe me, I do know. She's been crawling recently and it's scared the shit out of Dimitri quite a few times."

"Not you?" Lissa teases.

"Well..."

"What's it like?"

Rose doesn't need to ask what her best friend is talking about and takes a few minutes to consider the question. "I was furious at first. I never really wanted to have kids, even after we found out that it was possible, and to get pregnant while I was-am-at the top of my game pissed me off. Then I was scared for what would happen over the course of the pregnancy and the actual process of giving birth. I'm still scared, but for different reasons. More than anything though, it's amazing. _I_ created this little girl with Dimitri and she's so perfect and beautiful and I swear, Liss, I love her more than anything...why? Are you thinking about having a baby?"

"No...maybe. I don't know. Chris and I already decided we don't want kids yet, but seeing you and Dimitri with Katya almost makes me want to reconsider."

"Ah. Well, you can babysit for three days and then tell me how you feel."

Lissa laughs. "Like you would ever let her out of your sight for three whole days."

Rose shrugs with a grin. "Maybe not."


End file.
